the top of the volcano

Haleakala, the main volcano in Maui, is such an extraordinary place, quite mystical in its bleak other-worldliness. I didn't stay for the sunset, apparently it can change your life. I sat and sent my feelings down deep into it though, and felt the energy of the place. It was awesome. I felt connected to deep in the Earth. I could feel her depths. We were over 10,000 feet above sea level, and it was quite hard to breathe. It has its own weather, and even micro climates differ as you descend through the clouds.

I can never resist sparklings

On the catamaran in the deep blue waters off the west coast of Maui (known as Lahaina), I couldn't resist the sparkle of the ocean as it slipped under the hammock like structure at the front of the boat (not sure what this is called), and to lie on it, you got gently swayed and cajoled along, with the sounds and deeply fresh air as it came off the water...so divine!

A nest for the heart

Early one morning, I went for a walk in the rain forest, and came across this nest, it was nearly ground level, which you'd think would be so dangerous for growing birdlets, with Maui's large population of roving long tailed cats...

that Maui sky

I came to from the deepest Shavasana (last pose you do in a yoga sequence), and this is what was there. That wide blue Maui sky and the palm leaves..Its hard to convey the magic of Maui, but over the next few days, that's what I will attempt to do...Such a soft and lushly beautiful island, right out there in the middle of the Pacific, part of what we know as Hawaii.

awakening through dance

I just googled 'dancer' and got many images, but this one expressed my excitement about going to the Studio Maui 'Spirit Body' retreat which I'm for the last week of January. I know just how much one can engage with one's own Spirit when one loses ones mind to pure ecstatic dance! And I've always wanted to go to Maui, I have only ever stopped off in Honolulu on my way to the States, but could 'sniff' something in the air (yes, even through the pollution!), that I wanted to return to, and nourish my Soul with. I'm very lucky...